Lucky Space
by NoZones
Summary: AU; semi-reboot of a fic I wrote long ago. This takes place in an alternate future wherein the Lucky Star characters are androids.
1. Book 1, Chapter 1

**4-18-2286**

Tsukasa flew out to the asteroid where she met Misao.

"What are we doing here?" Tsukasa said.

"I just got done delivering this mining equipment," said Misao.

"What for?"

"Why, to use it, silly!"

_I thought I was done with that,_ Tsukasa thought.

"But seriously," Misao continued, "this is actually a rogue planetoid that flew in from outside the system. We have reason to believe that this contains exotic materials that will make it easier to form an intersphere rift."

"And they want me to mine this rock?"

Misao shook her head. "No, not by yourself, if that's what you were thinking. I was actually told to stay behind and help."

"I appreciate that." Tsukasa looked out at the equipment. "Do you remember how to set this up?"

After taking several minutes to get everything ready, Tsukasa and Misao were hard at work drilling into the planetoid.

"Just like old days," said Misao.

Just then, Misao's drill shut off. They both looked at the error indicator.

"Whoops, looks like I didn't fully calibrate it." Misao took a few moments to get it working again.

"Is something bothering you?" said Tsukasa. "You've never made that sort of mistake before."

"Nothing you need to worry about. We all slip up from time to time."

_I suppose she's right._ "Sorry to bother you."

"Don't be. It's nice to see how much like Kagami you're becoming."

"Are you starting to fall for her?" Tsukasa hastily covered her mouth. "Oh, I'm sorry!"

Misao laughed. "I guess I am."

Tsukasa smiled to herself, hoping that Misao would finally find someone to be with.

"Okay, enough about that. I got this working again."

It took several hours, but they were finally able to conclude that this rock held nothing special within it.

"Well, what was a letdown," said Misao.

"At least we know now," said Tsukasa. "Need help taking this all apart?"

"Technically," said Misao, "it's the other way around, since you'll be taking this all back with you to the office."

As they dismantled the mining equipment, Tsukasa thought of something.

"Do you miss it?" she asked.

"Miss what?" Misao replied. "You mean working on that asteroid?"

"Yeah, that's it."

"After all the years I put into that place, well of course I miss it. Still, I knew going into that job that it wasn't going to last forever."

"And I never would've imagined hearing any of that stuff about Konata."

"Well, it's all done and over with."

"I know."

Finally, the last of the machinery was packed away.

"You think we're all going spend time together again?" asked Tsukasa.

"I'd like that as much as you would," Misao said, "but we all have things to do, and not a whole lot of time to do it."

"At the very least, maybe we could spent time together?" _Please take the hint._

"Us? Sure, why not?" Misao said. "Are you free this weekend?"

Tsukasa checked her calendar. "Yes, I am."

"I'll meet you at your place, and then we'll decide what to do." Just then, Misao's phone rang. "Excuse me a moment."

She answered the phone.

Tsukasa watched as Misao spoke with Minoru Shiraishi (at least that's whose number she saw as Misao was answering). She was only able to hear Misao's end of the call.

Suddenly, Misao became visibly upset as the phone dropped from her hand.

"Is something wrong, Misao?!"

"I thought I'd be ready for it," Misao said.

_What's going on here?_


	2. Book 1, Chapter 2

**4-22-2285**

Having successfully applied for the job, Tsukasa rode on the shuttle taking her to the mining asteroid. She'd been given just enough time to relax before the cabin darkened and a screen came down. Within moments a short film was playing.

"Welcome, androids and gynoids," said the narrator, "to the Lucky Star Mining Company. Our mission is to search various celestial bodies for materials not readily available on Tealsphere."

The shot changed to that of an asteroid.

"Take this for example. This is LS-RHS, where new workers on this very shuttle are headed. You are actually rather fortunate. Headed by mining veteran Kagami Hiiragi, this is one of the best-run operations in the company."

_My sister?_ Thought Tsukasa. She found herself praying to whatever gods might be out there that she didn't make things harder for Kagami.

"Under Hiiragi's guidance," the narrator continued, "LS-RHS has also become the safest mining site known to exist, with no fatal accidents since she took over."

Once he was done praising Kagami and her workers, the narrator got down to business, explaining the mining profession and what will be asked of the average miner on a day to day basis. There were also some safety tips. Among other things, workers were warned to make sure the energy chambers were fully powered down before attempting to do any maintenance.

Tsukasa wasn't surprised to hear that. The potential danger posed by the energy chamber was one of the first things one learned coming out of the factory.

That, and not to give oneself third-party modifications.

The shuttle entered into a final approach toward the asteroid. She was going to reconsider her choice of job once more, but she decided she'd finally commit herself to something. Besides, now was a bit late to be backing out.

The shuttle finally docked. The door opened and Tsukasa set foot inside LS-RHS for the first time. Actually, "set foot" isn't exactly right, since unlike the shuttle the asteroid lacked any artificial gravity. No doubt it was considered unnecessary.

She called up a map of the asteroid, then made her way to the administrative section. Even with the assistance, she briefly got lost along the way. Once she was there, she pressed the door buzzer to announce her presence.

The door opened. "Come in," Kagami said.

Tsukasa floated into the office. "Tsukasa Hiiragi reporting in, si - I mean, mean, ma'am," she said,

"Don't worry about that 'sir' and 'ma'am' business, Tsukasa. You'll soon find that ours is an informal operation."

"Oh, good, I was worried I'd forget and get in trouble for it."

"What brings you here anyway?" Kagami asked. "Surely you didn't come all the way out here just to be with your big sister?"

"It's not that," Tsukasa replied. "When I signed up for this operation, I didn't even know you were here."

"Just as well, since for at least the foreseeable future you'll be spending most of your time with your immediate supervisor."

As if on cue, another gynoid entered the room. "Misao Kusakabe reporting in," she said.

"Kusakabe," Kagami said, "you'll be taking our new worker to her mining area and showing her the ropes."

Misao gestured to Tsukasa. "Come on, let's get going."

"Just a few things before you go," Kagami added.

Minutes later, Tsukasa and Misao were at the work site.

"Welcome," Misao said semi-dramatically, "to your home away from home! I assume you've seen the short film about being a miner?"

"I have, " Tsukasa said.

"Great, just more stuff you'll have to unlearn." A moment passed. "But seriously, you won't be doing much today, given that this is your first day."

"I won't?"

"For now, I'll just be showing you around, maybe even introduce you to some of your coworkers."

Tsukasa thought for a moment. "I don't mean to pry, but what was my sister talking about before we left?"

"Oh, that?" Misao said. "I left without much warning yesterday to take care of some personal business. Nothing to concern yourself with."

"Okay, then."

"So, you're really the boss's sister?"

"Twins, as a matter of fact. See?" Tsukasa showed off her factory approval number. It matched Kagami's, with the exception of Tsukasa's number having a "B" suffix, as opposed to Kagami's "A".

"Now that I think of you, the two of you do look like each other."

"Looks are about as far as it goes, I'm afraid."

"You remind me somewhat of Ayano," Misao said. "Oh, sorry, she's someone who worked here until recently. Her husband should be coming back to work after their honeymoon."

"You think she'll come by to visit, even though she no longer works here?" Tsukasa asked.

A somewhat serious expression fell upon Misao's face. "I'm afraid not." She then laughed nervously. "It's not like this place is meant for casual visitors, am I right?"

"I suppose you're right."

"Enough chat, time to show you around."

Tsukasa followed behind as Misao led her around the place.

_Did I say something wrong?_ She wondered.


	3. Book 1, Chapter 3

**4-23-2285**

Tsukasa came in for her second day on the job, having devoted most of her previous day learning the layout of the asteroid. Today, she'd be starting the on-the-job portion of her training.

"Kusukabe?" Tsukasa said. "I'm ready to start now."

"Oh, right," said Misao, who'd spent the last few moments staring into nothing. "Okay, first things first, you should learn how to service an energy chamber."

Misao and Tsukasa made their way to a nearby chamber.

"The first thing you do," Misao began, "is make sure the power flow is fully halted before doing any maintenance for making any adjustments. Believe me, if the energy breaks free of its flow control, it quickly becomes bad new for anyone trapped inside with it."

"What's with the sudden change?" said a blue-haired gynoid. "You always said that rule was overly cautious, and a waste of time."

"Hey, we're all allowed to change our minds! Besides, I don't recall it being any of your business how I instruct my trainee."

"Fair enough." The blue-haired one went back to her job.

"Who's that?" asked Tsukasa.

"That's Konata Izumi," Misao said. "I honestly don't know what her deal is. Her last name seems to indicate that she came from the Izumi factory, but they don't seem to have an approval number on file for her."

"Not to be rude," Tsukasa interrupted, "but wouldn't it be good to take your own advice about minding one's own business?"

"Yeah, I suppose. Okay, where were we?"

"You were having me power down this energy chamber." Tsukasa then enacted the official procedure for shutting off the chamber's power flow. Once sensors confirmed the power cutoff, the door's locks were disabled, allowing users unrestricted access to the chamber.

"That's good," said Misao, "but don't pat yourself on the back just yet. Let's see if you remember the rest of the process."

Tsukasa did just that, completing the maintenance checklist without once having to refer to the manual. Eventually, she was finished.

"As far as I can tell," Tsukasa said, "this chamber is working properly."

"That's good," said Misao. "Don't forget, there's one last step in this process."

"Oh, right!" within moments the chamber was powered up and running as full capacity.

"Now do that with the rest of the energy chambers." Misao began walking away. "When you're done with that, meet me in Mining Area 1."

Tsukasa proceeded to go through the remaining energy chambers. While most of them were also in proper working order, two required minor upgrades, and one has to be taken off-line for the time being, to keep its power regulator from blowing out. Once that was done, she headed over to where she'd be meeting Misao.

"Now, let's get acquainted with the tools of the trade," Misao said. "This here is the standard company-issue jackhammer. It's what we use to break the rock making up this asteroid. Why don't you show me what you remember from yesterday?"

Tsukasa took the jackhammer and pulverized some nearby rocks.

"Don't do it all willy-nilly. We don't want to compromise the asteroid's integrity."

"Understood." Tsukasa picked a wall and started breaking through it, eventually encountering some ore.

"Cool!" Misao remarked. "You made a strike on your first attempt."

Tsukasa looked back at Misao, not fully getting it.

"You see, is addition to their normal wages, whoever personally finds any ore is given a cut of the profits from that ore's sales. According to our mission statement, it's meant as an incentive for us to work harder."

"Probably just beginner's luck," said Tsukasa.

"If you ask me, the whole idea of luck is just an excuse people hide behind."

In any case, Tsukasa found one more ore deposit before the work day was over.

"I never imagined mining would take such concentration and effort," said Tsukasa.

"That's why miners tend to resent fiction," Misao remarked, "that depicts our line of work as a refuge for society's failures."

"Thank you, Kusakabe. You've taught me a lot these last two days."

"Don't thank me just yet; tomorrow your job here begins for real, and we'll see whether you're truly cut out to be here. Oh, and enough with the 'Kusukabe' business. I'd like you to call me by my first name."

"Sure thing, Kusa - I mean, Misao." Tsukasa almost tripped on the last word, still not fully comfortable with the idea. "I suppose I don't mind you doing the same."

"See, was that so hard, Tsukasa?"

_It still is,_ thought Tsukasa.

"You have the next several hours to yourself," Misao concluded. "Why don't you take the opportunity to see what else this asteroid has to offer?"

Tsukasa made her way to the recreation section to pass the time until her next shift. She'd hang out with her sister, but she didn't want to create even the appearance of favoritism. Besides, from what she'd heard, Kagami wouldn't be done with her work for at least another hour.

Their time together would just have to wait. _Until then, _ _just you watch me. I'll make you proud of me for sure._


	4. Book 1, Chapter 4

**4-24-2285**

Tsukasa got lost a few times along the way, but she did manage to find her workplace in time for her shift.

_Okay, no more training. From this day on, it's for real._

Then someone bumped into her from behind.

"Would you mind not standing in the way?" the other person asked.

Tsukasa turned and saw it was Konata. "Oh, sorry!" she said.

"Why don't you go with me? I'm sure I could use the help today."

Within minutes, Tsukasa and Konata were deep inside a mine shaft.

"Now here's where you can really strike it rich," said Konata, "but not if you screw up and cave yourself in. Then, among other things, you might get fired."

Tsukasa figured that, in those circumstances, losing the job would be the least of her problems.

"May I ask you something?" said Tsukasa.

"Shoot."

"I'd like to know who this Ayano is. Kus - um, Misao, mentioned her two days ago, but doesn't seem to want to talk about her."

"Not much to tell," said Konata. "Misao was attracted to Ayano, who eventually made it clear she couldn't return those feelings. Matter of fact, Ayano married another worker six days ago."

"Yeah, I already heard about that. Have you heard from her since?"

"No, we haven't," said Konata, "but then, why would we? She and Minoru no doubt want this next week to themselves."

"I also heard she's left the company."

Konata nodded. "From what I've heard, she'd had her fill of mining. Something about it becoming too dangerous for her tastes. That, and she expressed her desire to stay home and look after things while her husband's at work."

Tsukasa briefly smiled. "Sound likes the plan I've made for my own life. Although I'd have to find a way to keep occupied since, while safer than being here, staying at home all day seems like it could get boring real fast."

"Thankfully, from what I've seen she's not that easily bored."

"Okay, that's enough slacking off!" Misao said from just outside the shaft entrance.

"Oh, right, sorry!" Tsukasa hurried back to work.

"And you!" Misao pointed to Konata, "Don't go teaching newbies your bad habits!"

"Yeah, yeah," said Konata dismissively.

"One of these days, you'll regret that attitude!"

Tsukasa quickly tuned this out, assuming that this was just part of their daily interaction. Even if it weren't, what could she do about it?

Unlike yesterday, this time Tsukasa only found a small amount of ore.

_Well what did you think? That you were going to luck out every time?_

No matter; she would be earning more than enough either way.

Before she knew it, another shift was over.

"Wanna stop by my place, and watch some anime?"

Tsukasa thought about it for a minute. "Sure, I don't have anything else to do."

"Great! Prepare yourself to experience the true cultural heritage of Tealsphere!" Konata gave a thumbs-up.

They were on their way to Konata's living quarters when they came across a gynoid with long pink hair, wearing what appeared to be optics-correction equipment.

"I don't mean to pry," said Tsukasa, "but…"

"Her glasses?" Konata said. "They're totally real and, trust me, totally needed."

"I'm just surprised something like that got past quality control."

Konata let out a brief laugh. "Quality control? Don't be silly. Her reliance on corrective eyewear is a feature, not a bug."

"I don't get it."

"There are some who are purposely designed by the factories so they'd require eyeglasses to have fully-functional sight. Sure, it serves no practical purpose, but it seems some are into that particular look. While the initial set comes with them when they're built, they have to pay for any replacements themselves."

"I never learned that at the factory."

"Well, they're not given a whole lot of time to teach you things before you leave. By the way, her name's Miyuki Takara. She signed on roughly the same time you did, so you'll be seeing a lot more of her in these coming days."

Finally, they arrived at their destination.

"Take a seat," said Konata, "make yourself at home." She then started up the first show they'd be watching that night.


	5. Book 1, Chapter 5

**4-25-2285**

"I had no idea anime had so many glasses-equipped gynoids," Tsukasa said.

"Androids too," Konata replied. "Glasses are just as popular as an anime trope as they are in real life, maybe more so."

"And what's with that one always doing that thing with her hand whenever she used her power?"

"I just want to know why no one ever points it out." They arrived at the mining area. "Okay, that's enough personal talk, or Misao might get mad at us again."

_Mad at you, you mean._ "I suppose I'll be seeing you later, then."

"Catch you later!"

With that, Tsukasa went to find Misao. While she was looking she ran into Kagami.

"Oh, I'm so sorry!" said Tsukasa. "I should've watched where I was going!"

"That's okay. It was partly my fault," Kagami said. "I wasn't paying attention either."

"This is the docking area. Are you waiting for someone?"

"As a matter of fact, I am. Minoru should be coming back to work any time now."

"I look forward to meeting him." Tsukasa then resumed her search for Misao.

That search ended with another collision. _This just isn't going to be my day, is it?_

"Fancy bumping into you," said a laughing Misao. "Don't get so down about it. This has happened to me more than once, I'll have you know."

"My sis would probably say that's nothing to boast about," Tsukasa replied.

"As highly as we all think of her, sometimes she takes things just a bit too seriously. Then again, I suppose someone has to."

"So, where's my assigned work area today?"

"Oh no, no work today. At least none to do with mining. We'll be setting up the decorations for Minoru's welcome home reception."

"Sounds fun."

"Great. Just wait here while I get the stuff."

Tsukasa waited there while Misao brought out the decorations.

"Okay," said Misao, "help me take this out to the docking area, and I'll tell you where to put everything up."

Once everything was set up, all that was left to do was wait.

"So, what's he like, anyway?" asked Tsukasa.

"You mean Minoru?" Misao said. "He's a hard worker, he's polite to everyone here, and in these last two years he's clearly fallen in love with Ayano. That last part should be obvious, but once he starts talking about her it'll be even more so."

"I don't know. Not to be rude, but that description makes it sound like you don't know him so all that well."

"Hate to say it, but he doesn't really interact with people while at work. I guess he prefers to keep things professional with us."

"I suppose that makes sense."

"Just one more thing," Misao said. "Don't ask him too many questions about Ayano or their marriage."

"What?" Tsukasa said. "Why wouldn't he talk about that?"

"Well…" Misao took a few moments to answer. "It's just that, after a week of nothing but spending time with his wife, he'll no doubt want things back to business as usual. That, and like I said earlier, he prefers to keep on a strictly professional level with us."

Just then, the light on the airlock turned orange.

"That means a shuttle's about to dock," Misao said to Tsukasa.

Tsukasa merely nodded.

Moments later, the airlock light turned green. The door opened, and out came an android; presumably, it was Minoru. He was fairly attactive, but Tsukasa figured that wasn't what had drawn Ayano's attention.

Then again, she didn't know either of them, so she thought it would be best for her not to speculate about their relationship.

She couldn't help noticing that Misao was hanging back, along with herself, while everyone else rushed forward to greet him.

"Welcome back," said Kagami. "I hope that last week was fun for you?"

"So, how was it?" said Konata.

"How was what?"

"You know…" The tone in Konata's voice made clear what she meant.

"Konata!" Kagami shouted. "That is not an appropriate topic in public!"

"Not much happened, actually," Minoru said. "Ayano and I spent the week at home and didn't do much of anything."

"Lame!" Konata said.

"Yes, Konata, how dare a couple start a marriage their own way," Kagami said. "And have you forgotten the company memo about not using that word in the workplace?"

"Fine, I'll stop saying it."

As the evening wore on, it became clear that Minoru wasn't as happy as he wanted others to think. He also didn't seem to want to discuss his marriage all that much.

_Just like Misao said. Are Minoru and Ayano fighting?_ Again, Tsukasa reminded herself that she shouldn't speculate.

No matter; any such thoughts were interrupted by Kagami switching on the speakers.

"Now that I have your attention," said Kagami, "while I did want to congratulate Minoru once more on his marriage, the real reason for this little party was to soften the following bad news."

_What's going on?_

"I've gotten word that several company facilities won't be able to fulfill their government contracts due to accidents or personnel shortfalls. We have therefore been instructed to pick up their slack for the next two months."

"I don't like where this is going," Misao said.

"As a result, from May 1 until the end of June, I will be unable to give any time off, or allow anyone to leave the asteroid unless it's on company business. That is all." Kagami went back to the party, whose mood had understandably deflated somewhat.

Misao quickly rushed over to Minoru. If she was at all bothered by Tsukasa following her, she didn't show it.

Kagami also came over to him. "If you want, you could give Ayano a call now to give her the bad news."

"That's fine," he said. "I'll wait until I can tell her in person."

That's about all that happened before the party broke and everyone left for the evening.

Nor did much happen for the remainder of the month.


	6. Book 1, Chapter 6

**7-1-2285**

Konata was in her room watching the last few episodes of an anime series she'd discovered during these last two months. Except for a few hours here and there, that time felt like they'd been working nonstop.

At least the bonus pay was worth it.

The employees had all been given the week off starting today, but Konata was among those who opted to stay on the asteroid. Misao was one of those who left, although she indicated that she might be back later in the day.

No doubt she just wanted to get out for a while.

Having finished the last episode, Konata left her room and wandered through the asteroid, seeing all the things that usually went unnoticed from how busy they always were.

She was about to walk through the mining area when she got a call over the speakers.

"Could Konata Izumi please come to my office?" Kagami said.

Konata headed over as instructed, wondering what it could be about. She'd barely reached the office door when she was prompted to come in.

"What's the problem?" Konata asked.

"Potentially a big one, if this is what I think it is," said Kagami. "I've been meaning to ask you why the Izumi factory doesn't have your approval number on record."

After a moment of deep thought, Konata thought up the perfect excuse. "That's because I don't have one."

_Dammit! That's not what I meant to say!_

"Hold on," said Kagami, "you're saying you don't have an approval number at all?"

Konata braced herself; there was no going back now. "You see, I was actually rejected by my factory's quality control inspector. If you don't mind, I'd rather not say just yet."

"I don't get it. Aren't rejected androids usually recycled into spare parts?"

"Yes, usually, but whether through a records goof, or because the recycling crew had gotten lazy, I was out the door and ready to take on the world before they realized they were supposed to scrap me. By then, they must've decided that going after me would be more trouble than it was worth."

"You know what? I was wrong, this isn't a big problem," said Kagami.

"What a relief," said Konata. "Here I thought -"

"It's a _huge_ problem! Do you realize what this mean?!"

"That you've been employing someone who isn't even legally a citizen, let alone qualified to handle the dangerous equipment used in our line of work? That I lied right to your face when applying for this job? That it could result in investigations and inqui… oh."

Kagami nodded. "It seems you do realize the situation we're in."

"I suppose you're going to have to report this regardless."

"Laws and regulations aside, I feel it's my obligation as a responsible member of society."

"Well, you do what you gotta do, and I'll just have to take the consequences."

"For what it's worth," Kagami concluded, "whatever happens, no one can say you weren't an interesting addition to the company."

With that, the door opened, indicating that it was time for Konata to leave.

As she walked away, she passed Misao.

"Back from wherever you went?" asked Konata.

"Don't get used to seeing back here," said Misao. "If my meeting with Kagami goes like a hope, this'll be my last day working here."

_What's that supposed to mean?_

Konata figured she'd find out soon enough, so she didn't dwell on it.

She went back to her room, avoiding the rest of the asteroid. She couldn't bring herself to look upon her workplace knowing she might leave it soon.

_Of all the places I could've worked and lived, I was certain this was one place where I needn't fear my little secret getting out._

_Oh well, what's done is done._

She got out an old game console and some games to help keep her mind off the issue for the time being.

She was several hours into her game when she was paged yet again.

She reported to Kagami's office, already knowing the outcome.

_Let's get this over with._ Konata entered the room.

"I've been in contact with company HQ about this issue," said Kagami, "and they've decided to terminate your employment."

Konata turned to leave when Kagami stopped her.

"I wasn't done yet! As I was about to say, you have the option to appeal this decision to the Arbitration Department. This usually takes several weeks, and while this process is ongoing they cannot officially fire you."

"Thanks, Kagami."

"Don't thank me just yet," Kagami warned. "Misao's transferred to the accounting division of this asteroid's operations; in fact, she'll be working at home from now on. That means you'll be doing her old job as well as yours."

"I won't let you down!" Konata gave a thumbs up.


	7. Book 1, Chapter 7

**4-18-2286**

Konata had the day off, so she took up Minami and Hiyori's invitation to appear on their show. She put on her best outfit, then drove to the station where the show was broadcast.

"I'm Konata Izumi," she said.

"Excuse me while I check with staff," said the security guard.

Konata was let in about a minute later. She followed the instructions she was given and found her way to the set.

"So, where do I sit?"

"We'll have to get a chair out of storage," said Yutaka.

"I didn't expect to see you here."

"Well, they're considering making me a third co-host, and I start today."

Konata nodded. "And let me say how proud I am to be your first guest!"

"Let's not make a big deal of it. It's not like I'll be doing much at first."

"We're about to be on the air," said a passing Hiyori.

Konata and Yutaka got in front of the camera where, it turned out, there were already enough seats for everyone.

"On the air," said the cameraman, "in 3, 2…"

The "1" was silent, but everyone there knew the moment the show officially began.

"Hi! I'm Hiyori Tamura!"

"I'm Minami Iwasaki."

"And your temporary - for now - co-host, Yutaka Kobayakawa!"

"And for the duration of the show," said Hiyori, "this is our guest, Konata Izumi."

_Seriously? Your show doesn't even have a name?_ "Thank you for having me here."

"And thank you for being here. Unlike many other shows, as long time viewers know, we don't plan any episode before going on camera. So if you have something on your mind, feel free to speak up anytime."

"I have something," said Yutaka.

Hiyori smiled. "You sure wasted no time."

"I just wanted to thank the research facility that made it possible for me and my cousin over there to finally have normal lives. I doubt we can ever fully repay you."

Hiyori looked at Konata. "I don't follow."

"Well," Konata said, "I was in roughly the same boat as she was, although not nearly as severe a case. I was actually the test subject who helped make all that possible."

"I read about that on the internet," said Minami. "I was relieved to find out they would finally be doing something for Yutaka."

"I'd also like to thank Minami," said Yutaka, "for sticking with me, despite it all."

"No need to thank me. I wouldn't trade you for anything."

"If it's okay with everyone, let's change the topic," said Hiyori. "What does everyone think of the intersphere ships our government is having constructed?"

"It's a waste of time and resources, if you ask me," said Minami.

"How so?"

"It's taking up resources that could be channeled into improving life on Tealsphere."

"So you don't think what we get from other sphere will be worth the trouble?"

"I'm saying those resources might already belong to someone else. The first sphere we visited was inhabited, and had a fully-functioning society. And they weren't all that eager to have us around either. Who's to say the rest of the multiverse will be any different?"

"Then again," said Hiyori, "who's to say that your viewpoint is correct? Either way, we have only one way to find out."

"What are your thoughts?" Minami asked Konata.

"I have no really opinion on the matter," said Konata.

"In the end," said Hiyori, "it seems that's all they are, opinions."

Minami nodded.

They seemed ready to start another, unrelated discussion, when Konata's phone rang.

"I'm so sorry!" said Konata. "I'll turn it off as soon as I get this." She answered the phone. "Sorry, Kagami, but this isn't a good time."

"This won't take long…"


	8. Book 1, Chapter 8

**7-11-2285**

Ten days had passed since Konata privately admitted to Kagami that she was a factory reject. In that time, Kagami had launched a formal appeal of Konata's dismissal from the company. In the meantime, they could carry on with business as usual.

Something else happened during these ten days: Misao had taken a new position, and wouldn't be coming in to work anymore. When asked why she couldn't just as easily do the accounting from the main workplace, she simply replied that she was tired of looking at the inside of the asteroid every day.

Konata paid it no further mind. Instead, she went back to her job. By this point, Tsukasa was fully trained and could work without supervision. This meant that they didn't interact all that much while they were on the clock. Then again, they might have also been continuing the habit they'd picked up during those two months.

_I still can't believe they made us work that long non-stop._

Eventually, it was time for a break. Konata went over to Miyuki, who'd also completed her training period.

"What're you doing?" asked Konata.

"I was just accessing the internet," said Miyuki. "One of the first things I was taught before leaving the factory was the importance of learning."

"Even on your own time?"

Miyuki nodded. "Just as long as one doesn't rely too heavily on wiki pages. They can be prone to error, and the whims of editors' opinions."

Konata briefly considered defending her anime wiki's honor, but decided not to say anything.

Miyuki closed her internet browser. "I know it's none of my business, but did you notice how depressed and irritable Shiraishi got during those two months."

"I bet it was from having to spend all that time away from his wife," Konata said, "and so soon after they were married."

"You're probably right."

"Now that I think about it, we haven't heard from her since the wedding."

"I haven't noticed. Then again, she left before I could get a chance to know her."

"Maybe I could have Misao check up on them," Konata said.

"I'm not sure about that," Miyuki said. "That sounds like an invasion of privacy."

"I suppose so," Konata conceded. "I guess she'll get back to us when she feels like it."

Konata went back to her, her break having technically ended minutes earlier.

Finally, her work day was over, and Konata went to the arcade to kill some time. She spent some of her bonus pay on the more expensive games.

_Seriously, a 150 credits per continue?_ Then again, the game she was playing did have a lot of licensed characters and music. Thankfully, she was good enough to beat it without continues.

After playing some more games, Konata was ready call it quits. She returned to her room and selected another anime series to watch. She only made it through the first two episodes, though, before she realized she wouldn't wouldn't be able to focus on them anymore.

_There's no more use avoiding the subject._ Indeed, Konata could no longer keep her mind off what had happened that day. It wasn't just possibly losing her job that bothered her. The defects that had gotten her rejected rendered her uninsurable, and would no doubt shorten her life.

Usually, her gaming and anime watching, along with her job, helped keep her mind off this rather heavy topic. Right now, however, it was the only thing she could think about. At times like these, she wondered if it might've been better for her to stay and submit to being scrapped.

_No!_ she chastised herself. _Yutaka has it much worse, and she doesn't give up!_ Konata quietly laughed to herself, she hadn't thought about Yutaka in some time.

Thus ended Konata's pity party before it could properly begin.

Before she knew it, her next shift had begun. She got up and left her room. She was on her way to the mining area when she ran into Kagami.

"What brings you up here?" Konata asked.

"I just wanted you to know that some new workers will be coming in," Kagami said.

"And you need to inform me of this, why exactly?"

"I just noticed that one of them Minami Iwasaki."

"Again, still not getting why I need to know."

"What, you mean your cousin hasn't told you yet?"

It was then that Konata finally got it. Yutaka had called her weeks earlier with news that she was going out with someone.

"So you're saying that this Iwasaki is the one going out with Yutaka? That's nice to know, but I'm not sure what that has to do with anything."

"I suppose it doesn't," Kagami said. "I just thought you'd like to know. I'll be heading back to my office then."

While she feigned lack of interest, Konata couldn't wait to meet this Iwasaki, if only to make sure she wouldn't end up hurting Yutaka.


	9. Book 1, Chapter 9

**7-25-2014**

Konata got word that she'd soon be hearing the company's final ruling on her employment status. While she was informed that the odds were against her, off the record Kagami expressed confidence that this would soon be put behind them.

Another matter soon occupied Konata's mind; it was only a matter of moments before the shuttle came in with the new workers.

Konata and Miyuki were there to greet the worker once they stepped through the airlock. There were two of them, both gynoids. One of them had short green hair, and the other had long black hair and wore glasses.

_The manufacturers sure love their glasses._

"Hello," said the green-haired one, "I'm Minami Iwasaki."

"And I'm Hiyori Tamura," said the other one.

"I've heard about you already," said Konata. "You're going out with my cousin, aren't you?"

"That's right," said Minami. "That's not going to be a problem, is it?"

"Only if she says it is. But, looking at you, that doesn't seem the case."

Minami only nodded in apparent acknowledgement.

"Enough about that. What brings you here, anyway?"

"I need a job," Minami said, "so I can get get Yutaka the helps she needs."

_Oh, that's right, she's uninsured._

"I'm sure she appreciates your efforts," said Konata. "And believe me, there's going to be a lot of effort involved."

"I'm ready for whatever comes my way."

"Good attitude." Konata turned her attention to Hiyori. "Sorry, almost forgot about you."

"I'm used it by now," said Hiyori. "So when do we start?"

"Not so fast!" Konata put her hand up in a "stop" gesture. "You can't just start working a mine without first knowing what you're doing. You'll undergo a week or so of training before you can begin your jobs in earnest."

"So, who will we be training under?" Minami asked.

"Well," Konata said, "the person who used to do that has transferred out of mining operations, so I guess it falls to me for the time being."

Konata showed them all the ins and outs of being a miner, as well as all the equipment and how to use them.

"I hear you don't have to power down the chamber fully," said Hiyori.

"That's how we used to do it," said Konata, "but about two months ago, my old coworker started insisting that we do the maintenance properly, and we've doing doing this ever since."

"Sounds like she'd be interesting to meet."

"Who knows? Maybe she'll stop by sometime."

"I hate to interrupt," said Minami, "but I see everyone clocking out."

"Oops, looks like I lost track of time!" said Konata. "That's it for today. Meet me around here tomorrow morning and we'll continue where we left off."

Minami and Hiyori turned to leave.

"Actually," Konata said to Minami, "if you don't mind, could I have a bit more of your time?"

"I don't mind," said Minami.

The two of them began walking down a corridor.

"How's Yutaka doing?" asked Konata. "I mean, she hates to worry me, so I want to make sure she's not hiding anything from me."

"Not much to tell, really," said Minami. "Her left legs seized up a week ago, and she can't hold more than a day's charge, but other than that she's doing fairly well."

_Not bad,_ Konata thought, _for the only factory reject besides me to escape being scrapped._ "If you don't mind, could you not tell her I asked about that?"

"Sure, I don't mind," Minami replied.

"Great! So you're really trying to get her fixed up?"

"If I can. There's no guarantee that any workshop will so much as look at her."

"I know the feeling. That is, I -"

Minami shook her head. "It's fine, she already told me all about you."

Konata tried not to be indignant about that, given that she'd asked about Yutaka just moments earlier. "Just don't go blabbing it to anyone else, alright?"

"Understood."

"Konata Izumi," said Kagami over the speakers, "please come to my office."

"Well, what do you know?" Konata said. "This no doubt has something to do with what we'd just discussed. You can go do whatever, until your next training session."

She rushed over to Kagami's office, anxious to hear the news, whether it be good or bad. She went inside without waiting to be invited.

"I finally got a decision from the company," said Kagami. "They're letting you stay on, in exchange for a small favor."

"What favor?" said Konata.

"There are officials in the government who've longed to do research regarding androids with moderate to severe defects. You know, the sort that preclude approval. Of course, there haven't been that many available to them."

"So, as a condition of keeping my job, the company gets to loan me to the government for data collection?"

"I can understand if you'd rather not do this…" Kagami said.

"Cool! It's just like that anime I just got done watching. So, when do I head out, and for how long?"


	10. Book 1, Chapter 10

**12-31-2285**

It had been a long a tedious process, but at long last the researchers had gotten all they needed from examining Konata. With their data, they now had the mean to precisely identify and correct any errors that might occur in manufacturing androids.

Recall-and-repair orders were now being sent out all those who'd slipped past quality control. For her part, Konata had undergone extensive refitting to fix her own problems.

"There," the maintenance officer said, "you should now live a long and full life."

"I already feel better," said Konata.

"As soon as the director gives her okay, you'll be free to go."

Konata wandered the halls of the research facility that was become her home away from home. Along the way, she walked past all those she'd met during her stay here. She then went down a hall she hadn't noticed before.

She saw a room with its door left open. She went inside and saw the lifeless bodies of numerous gynoids, and a few androids.

According to the tags attached to each body's left big toe, they'd all died as a result of prolonged power surges, their systems totally fried.

Konata made a speedy exit from the room, and the hall for that matter; such a grim display was probably not meant for public viewing.

She resumed her tour of the facility, this time not going somewhere unless she could be sure it wasn't off-limits.

It was then that she ran into Nanako Kuroi, this facility's director.

"You can leave anytime you want now," said the director, with an accent that Konata could tell right from the start was fake.

"Thanks," Konata said. "For everything."

"No, thank you. You've help made life better, and in some cases, possible, for more people than you'll ever know."

"Well, if anyone asks me about help with their research projects, I'll know where to send them."

Konata changed out of her inpatient uniform and into the clothes she came here with. She then got into the company shuttle she'd flown here. She couldn't wait to report back to work, or to give everyone the good news.

The facility and the asteroid were at opposite ends of known space, so it was going to be a long flight. She inputted the target coordinates into the shuttle's autopilot, then sat back to catch up on her anime for that week.

A similar theme seemed to run through all the episodes she watched: change, its inevitability, and in some cases, its benefits.

_Surely that's just a coincidence._

She logged into her social networking account and spent several hours playing various online games. As usual, she got top scores in all of them.

_I should find harder games to play. This is starting to get boring._

Sensors indicated that Tealsphere was passing by. She briefly considered stopping there to take a tour of the world, but she thought it best not to keep Kagami and the others waiting any longer than they had to.

It was only a matter of days until Konata was sent back to her factory for another inspection, and maybe to finally get an approval number. It would be nice for her, and Yutaka for that matter, to be able to fully take part in society.

A beeping sound came from her flight control console, indicating that she'd arrived at her destination. When she looked out the window, however, the asteroid wasn't there.

_What the hell?_ She had the sensors scan for its location, in case there'd been a navigation error. It was nowhere to be found. What the system did find was debris spreading out from where, according to projections, the asteroid had been two months earlier.

She flew the shuttle to each area of debris hoping to find some answers. Unfortunately, nothing seemed to remain of anything from the worksite. Either it was removed before whatever happened to destroy the asteroid, or…

_No. I won't accept that. They're all okay, I just know it!_

Finally, it occurred to her that Minoru and Ayano's house wasn't that far from here. It was certainly closer than Tealsphere was right now.

She thought it was well past time to get reacquainted with Ayano. The worst that could happen was for them to tell her to go away. Even that would be better than the silence Ayano had been giving them since April.

That, and a horrible idea had formed in Konata's head, and she really, _really_ wanted to be wrong about it.

Soon, their residence came into view. She set the autopilot to park.

_Whatever I find out, it can't be much worse than not knowing._


	11. Book 1, Chapter 11

**9-1-2285**

Roughly a month has passed since Konata's departure from the asteroid for "personal reasons". With Misao's transfer, that just left Miyuki, Tsukasa, Minoru, Minami and Hiyori to work the mines.

Miyuki tried not to let it bother her, since she always knew the day would come when she'd have to stand on her own two feet around here. Still, she was going to miss those who helped her become the successful worker she was.

_Wherever they are now, all I can do for them is wish them well._

With that, she put the whole matter out of her mind in favor of concentrating on her job.

"Tsukasa?" Miyuki said. "This drill is running low on power. Could you please take it to the nearest charger?"

"Right on it," said Tsukasa and she took the drill.

As Tsukasa was leaving, Miyuki grabbed a spare drill and continued searching for ore. There wasn't much to find nowadays, and there was speculation that the asteroid was just about tapped out. That the company would soon be pulling out.

For her part, while it seemed more than likely, she planned to give this job her all until the end.

She was about to report her latest finding when Kagami made another announcement over the speakers.

_I wonder what this could be about._

"As you may know already," Kagami said, "our yields from this asteroid have been waning in the past several weeks. It seems the asteroid is just about out of material, and what's left is getting to be more trouble to extract than it's worth."

_I guess the stories were true after all._

"Therefore, after consulting with their experts, the higher-ups have decided to pull us off this asteroid at the end of the year. By January 1, you will be expected to have removed all personal items from your rooms and vacated the premises. That is all." Short, and to the point, just the way Kagami always did it.

Miyuki couldn't help worrying about her career's future. Would they be relocated to another asteroid? Would they be given assignments on Tealsphere? Or, as she feared, would they be laid off? It wasn't as if she couldn't get a job elsewhere, but she didn't want to risk losing the connections she'd made with her coworkers.

Just then, Kagami running to her.

"I didn't expect to see you down here," said Miyuki. "I'm not saying I mind, though."

"Actually," said Kagami, "I wanted to ask you a favor."

"I'd be happy to." Miyuki followed Kagami out of the mining area and down a corridor. She was soon inside a room full of computers. "What's this?"

"This is the records room," said Kagami. "I'd like you do go through all this and make backups. Normally, I'd do this myself, but I have too much else on my plate right now."

"I'll get right on it," said Miyuki. "And could you let Tsukasa know I won't be coming back to the mining area for a while?"

"No problem." Kagami was then off to do who knows how many other things.

Miyuki, like with her other job, dove right into making backup copies of all the files they'd built up during this mine's operation.

That included the emails sent to and from Misao's account. All were business-related messages addressed to Kagami. That would be nothing out of the ordinary, except Miyuki noticed the IP addresses associated with the emails. Not all of them matched.

She did some checking, and it seemed that only about a third of them were sent from Misao's residence. A few others came from random locations, but the vast majority came from Minoru's place. She checked her glasses to make sure nothing was wrong with them, and then looked at the number once more to be certain.

There was no mistake; these emails were coming from the Shiraishi residence.

Miyuki tried not to read too much into it. After all, couldn't it be just as likely that Misao was there to visit Ayano?

Then she thought about those two months leading to Misao's request transfer. Minoru became increasingly unhappy, and at the end of it he and Misao left together. When she next came here, the only thing she did was request a job that wouldn't require working on the asteroid. Now she was spending a great deal of time at his place, and he seemed happier than before.

_Stop that!_ Miyuki told herself. _You're greatly overthinking this._ Besides, from what she'd heard of Minoru, he didn't seem the type who'd do that to Ayano.

Nor did she seem the type to let him get away with it.

On the other hand, the scenario that was taking shape in Miyuki's mind was just plausible enough to give her pause.

_What if I'm not overthinking things, and he really has betrayed his wife?_

She decided to keep these thought to herself, at least until some more solid evidence came her way, and continued making file backups.

Finally, she informed Kagami that she was finished, and was then excused to her room until her next shift.

Besides her rather troubling thoughts about those emails, Miyuki also found herself pondering her future after leaving this asteroid. Would she stay on in whatever position ended up being assigned to her? Or would she seek out a new employer?

She put all such thoughts out of her mind as she connected herself to the charger.

_Like Tsukasa likes to say, each new day is a reset._


	12. Book 1, Chapter 12

**10-1-2285**

Their last work shift had officially ended the previous day, and this day was devoted to removing all personal and company property from the asteroid.

"I don't understand," Miyuki said. "Is the company selling this asteroid to someone else?"

"Far from it," Kagami replied. "They've made the decision to blow it up."

"Again, I'm not getting it."

"There's still some ore to be found here. It just can't be mined out safely. So some people are coming to set charges at various points of the asteroid. If they do it right, the detonation should expose the last of what this rock has to offer."

That didn't seem like responsible use of space, but Miyuki had no real say in the matter, so she kept this thought to herself.

_I've been doing that a lot these days._

Miyuki had already boxed her personal item and loaded onto the ship, so she decided to help everyone else with their moving. That included Konata, who wasn't here to pack her own stuff.

She then headed over to Misao's room, only to find Minoru was already there, and was halfway done with the packing.

"Do you need help?" Miyuki asked.

"Not really," said Minoru. "I think I got this handled."

Miyuki then had a thought. "Have you seen or heard from Misao lately?"

Minoru took a few moments to answer. "No," he said, "I'm afraid not."

"So she hasn't even dropped by to see you?"

"Not that I recall. If she has come by, it was probably to see Ayano."

"Thanks, and sorry for intruding on your privacy like that."

"No offense taken."

"I'll see you later." Miyuki was on her way to see if anyone else needed help.

_He told me he hadn't seen Misao lately,_ Miyuki mentally recapped. _I want to believe him; I hate suspecting him of anything._ If Misao were there to visit Ayano, that would explain away her being at their residence.

Eventually, everything had been removed, and all personnel were aboard the departing ship.

"Now that it's happening," Kagami said, "it's kind of sad to be leaving the asteroid."

"I suppose I haven't been there long enough to form any attachment," said Miyuki, "so I can't fully understand the feeling."

"No matter. That chapter is closed now."

Miyuki and Kagami just watched for the next hour and a half as the asteroid receded from view.

"Any time now," Kagami said. Indeed, the demolition workers wasted no time getting ready to blow the asteroid, and they'd be the ones to collect any ore that remained.

As if on cue, the rock that had once been their workplace blew to pieces, definitively putting an end to that part of their lives.


	13. Book 1, Chapter 13

**4-18-2286**

Miyuki unhooked herself from the charger at the indicated time. She was actually fully charged and ready to an hour earlier, but she wanted to maintain maximum readiness for each work day.

She gathered her items and went out the door. She took the bus to her workplace. As soon as she got in, she was met with more advance versions of the space-time equation she'd solved for Kagami.

Since then, her old boss had been promoted out of the office, and Miyuki made his replacement.

"I'll be in my office," she said. "I'd prefer no disturbances until absolutely necessary."

Once in her office, she took one look at the first formula and realized it just wouldn't work. Any drive that attempted to open a rift with this would destroy itself, and possibly cause space-time damage to both spheres.

As she tried to think of a diplomatic way to put that, she set the document aside and check out what else she'd been sent.

It was another, somewhat more workable way of opening the rift. More energy efficient than any other method, at that. She wasted no time sending an email to Kagami giving this her approval.

She went through the rest of the document removing anything else to do with programming the ISRD. Out of all that was left, the first was a note from her old boss, which had somehow gotten lost in the shuffle.

She figured she'd have time for that later, and put it to one side.

She was about to continue looking through this stuff when she got a call from her secretary.

"You have someone asking to speak with you," she said.

"Send them in," said Miyuki.

Minutes later, an android walked in. "Miyuki Takara?"

"That's me," she said.

"I'm with the Intersphere Exploration Service, a newly-formed agency of the government. I was sent to ask you about possibly joining us."

"Are you sure? I'm certain there are others out there more qualified."

"You're too modest."

_Better to be too modest than not enough._ "Besides, no offense, but I'm happy right where I am."

"Would you at least here my sales pitch first?"

"I suppose it couldn't hurt."

He spent the next hour explaining the history and purpose of the IES. How it was going to open the doors to the multiverse, and lay all spheres open to theirs.

_He was right, this is exactly like a sales pitch._

"I'm sorry," said Miyuki. "I know you probably came a long way, and I know how much we'd all benefit from me joining, but I'm just not willing to take that kind of time out of my life."

"I understand," he said. "Let me email you my contact information, though, just in case you change your mind." He then left.

_I hope I made the right decision._

She continued going through her documents, until everything was dealt with.

That is, except for the note from her boss. She read it, and it was the usual goodbye and good luck message. She never really got to know him, but she couldn't help being touched.

Her phone rang again. "It's the corporate higher-ups," said the secretary.

"Put them through," said Miyuki.

A clicking sound was made indicating a call transfer.

"Hello, Ms. Takara?" said an android's voice.

Miyuki instantly recognized the voice of the company's CEO. "It's me."

"I hear you've been helping one of our partners refine the space-time equations for the ISRD."

"That is correct."

"And what a job you've done with that! Thanks to you, our fleet of ships will be ready to go weeks ahead of our original schedule."

"Anything to be helpful, sir," said Miyuki.

"Oh, you're too modest."

_I hope I don't end up becoming… what was that phrase Konata used? Oh, yes. A "phrase catcher". Please don't let me become one of those._ "I suppose that's just how I am."

"But seriously," the CEO said, "I didn't drag you away from your work for a social call."

"Sir?"

"I have a new assignment for you."

Miyuki could hardly believe what she heard next.


	14. Book 1, Chapter 14

**11-12-2285**

Miyuki got done writing her monthly report on corporate growth. As they'd all feared, the mining crew had indeed been laid off following the operation's shutdown. Thankfully, she was able to get a job here the next day, thanks to her recommendation.

_It seems she's even more highly regarded in the business world than I thought._

She sent her report to her boss's computer, along with a message asking about her next assignment.

Instead of sending a reply, he came right to her desk with a package. "Could you deliver this package for me?" he asked.

"Right away," Miyuki said. She took the package and looked at the address indicated on it.

_I think that's where Kagami works now._ Miyuki couldn't wait to catch up with her.

She got into the company car and drove along the freeway for nearly an hour. It had taken a while for her to readjust to life in natural gravity, but now it was like she'd never left. Odds were, she'd never leave again.

She arrived at her destination. She got out of the car with the package and entered the building.

Apparently, they were expecting her. "You'll find her in office 1A at the top floor," said the receptionist.

"Thank you," said Miyuki. She rode the elevator to the top, then made her way to the office.

"Could it possibly wait a few moments?!" Kagami snapped from inside the room. Just seconds later, though, she opened the door. "Sorry, didn't realize it was you. Come in."

"No, that's fine," said Miyuki.

"It's just that the newbies have been bothering everyone all day over every little thing. I guess they're just not a self-reliant as those who work in space."

"Still miss your old job?"

"I suppose. Not that this isn't fulfilling, and believe me, I normally do not get that stressed out during the work day."

"I'm certain they'll get the hang of things soon enough," Miyuki said.

"I am too," Kagami said. "Oh right, you were here to deliver a package."

Miyuki handed the item over. "Excuse me, I should be leaving now."

"Aren't you just a bit curious what this is?"

"Not really. It's not like it's any of my business."

"Yeah, I suppose it's not." Kagami paused a moment. "Say, could we try to spend more time together. Since we no longer work together, though, it'll have to be on the weekends."

"That works for me. Excuse me." Miyuki then left the office.

On her way out, she passed by Tsukasa explaining to a trainee, maybe not for the first time, how to do something.

_It somehow seems odd for anyone to be needing her help._ Then again, she was Kagami's sister, so perhaps Miyuki shouldn't be so surprised.

She had just left the building when she saw Misao.

"Long time, no see!" Misao said.

"How have you been?" Miyuki said.

"I've been doing fine. And thanks for offering to help get my stuff off the asteroid. I still can't believe he declined the help."

"Maybe he didn't want anyone touching your property who didn't have to."

"Or maybe it was just an exercise in typical wannabe manliness," Misao remarked. "Not that it really matter now."

_I know I should stay out of it, but…_ "I haven't seen Minoru or Ayano in a while. I don't suppose you've been in touch with them."

"'Fraid not," Misao replied. "I haven't been there since their wedding. Gotta go now, I have a job interview in a few minutes."

Miyuki got into her car and drove back to her workplace.

_She lied to me. Now I know something is going on between them._ Miyuki now had to decide what she was going to do about it. She could confront Misao or Minoru about it, or even go to Ayano with her suspicions.

In the end, she decided against doing anything without any actual evidence. Even if she knew for certain that Minoru and Misao were having relations, Miyuki figured it probably wasn't her place to do anything about it.

She was soon back at her desk, wrapping up her work for the day. She then got into her personal car and went home.

Once she was in the living room, she took about two hours to work on the novel she was planning to publish. She only wrote when she didn't have other things to do, and she was under no illusions that she'd ever make a career of it, but she found it to be a much-needed unwinding from her work day.

Finally, she plugged herself into the nearest outlet and went into recharge mode.


	15. Book 1, Chapter 15

**12-25-2285**

"My cousin should be getting back soon!" said an understandably happy Yutaka.

Miyuki couldn't blame her. Konata's work with the government researchers had shed new light on defects that would normally get androids scrapped. Now, there were laws under consideration to put an end to that practice, as well as possibly extending full citizenship to those who were let out despite failing their quality inspections.

Those such as Yutaka. While she hadn't experienced a serious physical breakdown in a while, she still wasn't considered suitable for employment. It was likely that, with that they'd learned from Konata, things could turn around for those two and others like them.

Miyuki's mind then returned to what had brought them together in the first place. All the old mining crew, except for Konata, Minoru and Ayano, were meeting at this karaoke place for their Christmas party/reunion.

"No one start without the life of the party!" Misao said, as she walked in.

_Nice to see her as energetic as always._

Misao was followed by Kagami, Tsukasa, Minami and Hiyori.

"I guess that's it," Kagami said.

"Let's get this started!" Misao said.

They all caught up on each other's lives since they all last saw each other. Minami and Hiyori were now working at a local TV station, producing a low-budget show that would fill whatever time slot was open that day. Miyuki watched an episode or two, and didn't really say much about it, so as not to hurt their feelings.

Then they all took their turns with the karaoke. Most of them got good scores at the end, and for those who didn't, Miyuki once more chose to spare their feelings.

Finally, the party broke up and they all left for home. As Miyuki was leaving, though, Kagami caught up to her and stopped her.

"Y'know," Kagami said, "I couldn't help noticing the way you were looking at Misao and Minoru. Is there something on your mind?"

_Alright,_ Miyuki told herself, _it's now or never._ "No, it's nothing."

"Just wanted to make sure."

Miyuki couldn't help feeling just a bit ashamed of hiding something like this from Kagami, but if there was something going on between Misao and Minoru, it was ultimately up to them whether or not to confess.

And with that, as far as Miyuki was concerned the matter was closed.

"Now that you're here," Miyuki said, "I have something to give you." She handed Kagami one of those light novels she'd said she was meaning to read.

"I wish I had something to give in return," said Kagami. "To be perfectly honest, the holiday had completely slipped my mind."

"If it's any consolation, you don't seem to be the only one. Don't worry about it; I already have all I could ever want."

"I wish others had that attitude," Kagami replied. "maybe then we wouldn't be seeing so many advertisements this time of year."

"I don't know about that," Miyuki said. "I actually like some of those commercials."

"Just not that infomercial with the Reindeerbot and the Santa Gnome. I had no idea so much creepiness could be packed into something so small."

Indeed, commercially-made robots that were built to look like androids tended to be more disturbing than endearing. Experts on such matters had coined the term "uncanny valley" to describe this effect.

"I'm sure they wouldn't be showing that," said Miyuki, "unless there was a market for it."

"If you say so. Well, we're at my house now, so I guess I'll talk to you later."

"Take care of yourself," said Miyuki, as she made her way to the parking lot where she kept her car. Once inside, she began driving home.

_It's been a long journey, hasn't it?_ Not the distance physically traveled, but all the things she'd experienced with her old coworkers. She couldn't even begin to imagine how it felt for them to part ways after so many years working together. Nor could she understand what it was like for Hiyori or Minami, who'd barely had time to settle in before being laid off.

_In the end, only you can understand how you feel._

She had no pretenses that she'd come across anything profound in her thoughts. Unlike many others, she had the good sense to avoid sharing every little thing that popped into her head. Nor did she talk simply for the sake of talking.

As soon as Miyuki got home, she went into the living room and went right back to writing her novel. She still had no career aspirations, but she found it a good way to pass the time.

_Who knows? Maybe next Christmas, I'll be able to give everyone a gift I can truly be proud of._


	16. Book 1, Chapter 16

**4-1-2286**

It was now six months into her current job, and so far things had been going smoothly for Kagami. Her division had been assigned to take part in a government project to develop a means to traveling to other dimensional planes. She was curious about the idea of other worlds existing beyond Tealsphere, and that one could get there without going into space.

This could introduce a whole new dimension (no pun intended) to their colonization and resource collection efforts.

So of course, Kagami accepted the assignment without question. Her first task was to oversee the construction of the ship that was to test the intersphere rift drive, or ISRD for short. It had to be somewhat larger than any comparable ship design, in order to house the power system that the ISRD would require. This, of course, would mean putting in more hours to build the thing.

She had just signalled for the workers to take a break when a shuttle landed. A familiar short gynoid came out with a package.

"Sign for this please," said Konata. "Hey, fancy seeing you here!"

"Likewise," said Kagami. "Misao's usually the one making the deliveries."

"We decided to trade jobs for the day. Nice ship you got there."

"Yeah, trust me, it'll be even nicer once it's finished."

"Say no more. I get it, government secret and all."

"Actually," Kagami said, "the government has just declassified it. It'll probably be all over the news soon, but I may as well tell you first."

"That sound cool!" Konata said, once she'd heard about the ISRD. "Imagine that, exploring other worlds! I wonder who or what lives in these other spheres."

"I just hope they're not hostile."

"Me too. I should be getting back now."

Kagami sent everyone back to work. Hearing Konata's reaction, now she really wanted to see this project succeed.

Oddly enough, she couldn't shake the feeling that something was bothering Konata. She seemed to have something on her mind.

_It wouldn't be the first time she kept something from me._

Kagami tried not to let it get to her; Konata had as much right to privacy as anyone else.

She re-focused her mind on finishing the day's work. She went inside the ship to inspect progress on the interior. To her relief, they were further ahead there than they were with the exterior. Just like her, her workers were more concerned with making this ship work right than with making it pretty.

Of course, the project's sponsors were going to want it to be pretty, so the exterior crew would have to get a move on.

"We have a problem," said one of the workers.

"What is it?" Kagami asked.

"We've been trying to come up with a mathematical formula that would allow us to open an intersphere rift without totally disrupting space-time, and we're stuck right about here."

Kagami looked at the tablet showing the nearly-complete formula. Several important elements were still missing, without which the drive could not operate.

"This is just slightly beyond me," said Kagami, "but I know someone who could help." She emailed the formula to Miyuki's account, along with an explanation of their problem. "This could take a while, so you may as well get back to your job."

Right then, she got a reply notice. In it was the completed formula, with annotations detailing why Miyuki had done what she did.

"Oh, of course!" said the worker. "It seems so obvious now. Next time you see her, be sure to give her my thanks." He went back to his work.

The next few hours went without incident, as they received and installed the ISRD. They did some low-power tests, and the formula would indeed get them the stable rift they needed.

Now all that remained was to install the power systems and finish the exterior, but that could wait until tomorrow. Kagami dismissed her workers for the day before going home herself.

She arrived to find a message waiting for her. It was from Tsukasa. She was about to listen to it when she Tsukasa walked in.

"Never mind that message," said Tsukasa. "I just called to say I might be late getting back from the office, but that ended up not being the case."

Kagami deleted the message. "How's your day been?"

"Nothing too exciting. How's yours?"

"I think that ship or ours might be ready for its first test within the week."

"That's great!"

Kagami and Tsukasa talked some more as the night went on, before they started getting ready for the next day.


	17. Book 1, Chapter 17

**4-5-2286**

After a few more days of tests and preparation, the ship was ready for its major test: to see if ISRD would work as designed.

Kagami sat in the captain's chair as she oversaw the launch procedure.

"All lights are green," said the operations manager.

"Start engines," Kagami ordered.

Within minutes, the ship was airborne. It was flown to an area relatively far from any inhabited areas, just in case something went wrong.

"We are in position," said the navigator.

"Alright," said Kagami, "engage the ISRD."

The bridge crew all watched as a teal-colored rift formed right in front of them. As soon as Kagami was confident the rift was stable, she ordered the ship into it.

There was a minor jolt as they passed through the rift. They were now going through what seemed to be a teal-colored wormhole. As they went forward, the teal gradually gave way to indigo, and they were jolted a second time as they went out the other side.

"We're right back where we started," said the navigator.

"No, we're not," said the operations manager. "I'm detecting a type of energy here that is completely alien to our world."

"For all we know," said Kagami, "this world may have nothing in common with ours. But there's only one way to find out. Set us down."

The ship landed somewhere in the middle of nowhere. Kagami and three security officers departed to go exploring.

_This is just like that science fiction show Konata had me watch last year._

_I can't believe that came to mind just now. She must be rubbing off on me._

They drove into the nearby city in their all-terrain vehicle. They were soon on the streets. While they weren't really sure of the traffic laws, Kagami took a few moments to observe what the other vehicles did, and then copied them. This mostly kept them out of trouble, but they got at least one warning for not yielding to a wedding party.

_I bet Minoru and Ayano would've loved that law._ When she got back, she made a note to finally check up on them.

They suddenly came across two androids with what appeared to be a nonfunctioning car.

"Let's stop and try to help them," Kagami said. Strictly speaking, it wasn't part of their mission, but she figured this was a good way to make a good first impression.

"Need help with something?" she asked.

"Yes," one of the androids said. He had a braided ponytail. "Our engine doesn't seem to be starting."

Kagami popped open the hood and took a look. "I see the problem. One of your power conductors is just a bit misaligned." She put it back into place. "Try it now."

The engine started without any trouble.

"No offense," he said, "but I've never seen a female unit who was so good with hardware."

_Female units? Is that what they call gynoids over here?_ "Where I come from, gender isn't used to determine who can do what job. If you don't mind me asking, what's your name."

"It's Duo Maxwell, but you can just call me Duo."

"Do you have a name?" she asked the other one.

"No I don't," he said. His hair slightly covered his face.

"Don't kid around with them," Duo said. "He's Trowa Barton, or at least that's what he calls himself for the time being."

_Dare I ask what that means?_ "Would you mind showing us around a bit?"

"It's the least we can do," said Duo. "We were on our way home from a date."

"Who were you dating?" Kagami asked.

"Each other, of course. Actually, we're just about gone steady now."

Kagami felt reassured by the knowledge that other worlds shared their attitudes toward relationships.

"Come by here tomorrow, and you can watch the power satellite launch."

"The what now?" Kagami said.

"The power satellite! You know, the thing that's only been on the news for the last few weeks," Duo said. "What are you, from another world or something?"

"Well, actually…"


	18. Book 1, Chapter 18

**4-10-2286**

Duo and Trowa had taken the revelation that they'd met visitors from another world more calmly that Kagami could've imagined. They proceeded to ask her all sorts of questions about Tealsphere. In exchange, they told her quite a bit about their own world, which they called Indigosphere. Before she knew it, she was brought to the attention of their ruler.

"I am Queen Relena of Indigosphere," she said. "Are you the female unit leading your world's delegation?"

"I am," said Kagami. "I apologize if we broke any laws by coming in the way we did."

"No harm was done, so I believe we can overlook it. That said, I would prefer not to have too many people entering our world."

"I understand. I'll relay that message to my people."

"Why don't you stay just a bit longer before leaving?"

Kagami took a tour of the royal palace. One of the first things she saw was a monitor showing the news. One of the major items was about the satellite. It would broadcast indigo energy down from orbit, allowing more cities to be powered with fewer generators.

_That doesn't really sound like the ideal solution to their problem, not that I would say that to the Queen's face._

Eventually, it was time to go.

"Thank you for letting us be your guests," said Kagami.

"It was an honor," said the Queen. "I look forward to the day when our worlds may interact freely."

Once everyone was aboard, the ship took off again. Kagami watched as they passed through the indigo rift into the wormhole. They soon found themselves back in Tealsphere.

"Signal corporate HQ that returned," said Kagami.

After the ship landed, Kagami was called in for a debriefing.

"Were these 'males' and 'females' substantially different from the androids and gynoids of our own world? asked one of the executives.

"Not that I could tell," said Kagami. "Well, except for them running on a sort of indigo energy, as opposed to teal."

"You said they expressed some surprise that a 'female unit' could possess your level of skill with a car engine," said another executive.

"I suppose their gender roles are not quite as flexible as ours."

The questions continued onward for a short time.

"That is all, but before you go, we have a finding of our own to share," said the final executive.

"Ma'am?" said Kagami.

"While you were away, another team was testing a second drive in space, with no success. It seems that an intersphere rift can only form within a natural gravity well. I just thought you'd find that information useful."

_We wouldn't be going into space anyway._

Kagami was dismissed. She quickly left the chambers and headed back to her office.

She was greeted by a loud noise. It was a party popper.

"Welcome back!" said Misao, who'd set off the popper. Above her was a sign reading "Welcome Home, Space Captain Hiiragi".

Accompanying Misao was the rest of the old mining crew. They joined her in congratulating Kagami on her successful intersphere mission.

"You shouldn't have," said Kagami.

"I know," said Misao. "And I bet you thought we'd all forgotten about you."

"No, really. You shouldn't have done this. Don't you all have your own job to go to?"

"Our bosses all gave us the day off so we could be here," said Miyuki.

"I was just as surprised as you were, to be honest," said Konata.

"I guess I just wasn't expecting everyone to make such a fuss about, that's all," said Kagami.

"What's not to fuss about?" said Hiyori. "This is a big deal! This could change everything!"

"Let's not get ahead of ourselves here. We first have to make sure we can go to other worlds besides the one we'd visited."

"I don't see why you couldn't," said Miyuki. "That is, after looking at all the math involved in created rifts."

"Thanks for your vote of confidence," said Kagami.

Things went on for another hour or so before everyone went their separate ways.

_They somehow seemed less tiring when we all worked at the asteroid._ She thought this was an odd time for her to be nostalgic for her former job.

Tomorrow, it would be back to business as usual.


	19. Book 1, Chapter 19

**4-18-2286**

Kagami came into work as usual, and didn't expect anything out of the ordinary. That expectation came to an abrupt halt when she got a call from Minoru.

"Hello?" said Kagami.

"Hey, I'm sorry to do this to you right now," said Minoru, "but could I possibly have today off?"

_Oh, right, today's their anniversary._ "Sure, go ahead and stay home today."

"Thank you so much. I'll be sure to make this up to you."

"No need for that. Well, I have to be going now, so I'll see you tomorrow."

"Later." Minoru hung up.

_Well, that was odd._ Almost as if he were begging for time off.

Maybe they just wanted to spend the day together. Anyway, Kagami didn't have time to dwell on it, since another job had been sent her way. Another ship had been constructed, and she was to help the new captain get ready.

_I wonder who it could be?_

Kagami drove to the specified location, where there was the ship that had been described. It was then that she noticed the logo on the side. That logo belonged to the company Miyuki worked for.

_No, it couldn't be._

She asked around repeatedly until she was successfully directed to the captain.

_It is._

"May I help you?" asked Miyuki.

"I was sent here by my employers to assist you," Kagami said.

"That's nice of them, but I'm pretty sure I have things well in hand. Could you stay anyway, in case something does come up?"

"That's what I'm here for. I have one thing to take care of first."

Kagami called Tsukasa and had her help Konata and Misao with yet another part of the project.

"Sorry," said Kagami, "I'm all yours now."

"Right this way," said Miyuki.

The two of them spent several hours touring the ship Miyuki would be commanding in during its test. Kagami couldn't help noticing the various improvements over the ship she's tested just days earlier.

_I guess that's what prototypes are for._

"Do you have any particular destination in mind?" Kagami asked.

"No," said Miyuki. "Like you, we'll be going to the first sphere our drive lock into. With luck, whoever's on the other side will wanted to establish relations this time."

"At the very least, I hope they don't declare war."

"That won't be much of an issue, unless they too have intersphere technology."

"In any case," Kagami said, "how does it feel to be in charge one of one of these ships?"

"I'm surprised they picked me," said Miyuki. "I don't have any experience."

"Hardly anyone has experience with this type of stuff."

"I meant, with leadership. I've always been more of a follower."

"Then again, maybe they picked you for the mission because of your understanding of how these rifts work."

"Not that it matters," Miyuki said. "I was given this job, and I'm seeing it through."

"Like you said," said Kagami, "you have this under control, so I'll be returning to my office."

"That'll be fine. Thank you for coming by."

Within half an hour Kagami was back in her office. She was about to settle down and catch up on her work, when she noticed two messages on her phone. One was from Minoru, and the other was from Misao. She listened to both messages, but they delivered essentially the same news.

She regretted not being there to answer her phone.

After taking a few minutes to process what she'd heard, Kagami called everyone from her old mining crew to see if they'd gotten the news.


	20. Book 1, Chapter 20

**4-11-2286**

Kagami was given another assignment related to the ISRD project; finding more companies willing to partner up with them. She had some limited success, securing partnerships with the companies that employed Miyuki, Konata and Misao. They'd need still more of an investment if this project was to really get off the ground.

She finally broke down and contacted her old employers, the mining company.

"I dunno," the company representative said. "That seems a rather heavy investment for something that can't be guaranteed."

"In mining, nothing is guaranteed," said Kagami. "Don't forget, I used to work on one of your old asteroids. Besides, having who knows how many worlds at your fingertips would increase both our access to resources and your own potential for profit."

"I'll take this proposal to the higher-ups, but I'm afraid this isn't my call to make."

"I understand." Kagami watched as the representative left the room.

"I believe that's all for your appointments," said Kagami's secretary.

"Thank you," said Kagami. "That'll be all." she left her office and got ready to go home.

"See you tomorrow!" said Minoru.

Kagami and Tsukasa went home together.

"If I may be honest," Kagami said, "today was boring compared to visiting another sphere."

"So what was it like?" said Tsukasa.

_That's a good question. I haven't had a chance to process that just yet._

"They weren't all that different from us, really. If not for the different energy color, we might've initially thought we'd failed to leave our own dimension."

"So, they were all androids and gynoids, just like us?"

"They even spoke the same language," Kagami said, "although part of me thinks they might've been using some sort of translator. Or something."

Their conversation was interrupted by a phone call. Kagami picked up.

"Hello?" Kagami said.

"Hey, it's Konata!" she said.

"What are you calling about at this hour?"

"I just called to give you the good news. You know the facility that did all research with me? Well, one of the staff came and picked up Yutaka a few hours ago. They're taking her in for the defect correction procedure."

"That is good news!" said Kagami.

"I know! And with luck, her approval number could be coming sometime afterwards."

"I'm so happy for the both of you."

"I'm sure Minami is happy too," said Konata, "even though, as usual, she's not really showing it."

_Not everyone is as overly expressive as you._ "Well, I see no reason why she wouldn't be."

"I gotta go now. Bye!" Konata hung up.

Kagami was about to resume her talk with Tsukasa when she got another call. "This'll be another minute or so," she said.

"I was thinking," said Miyuki

_What could this be about?_

"We should wait until after Minoru and Ayano's anniversary, preferably a day everyone has off, then we could all pay them a surprise visit. Since that seems the only way you're all going to see her again."

"Let me think a minute." Kagami wasn't sure about this at all. Simply barging in without warning could be seen as an invasion of privacy. "I get where you're coming from. Tell you what; after their anniversary, I'll give them a call and ask what they think about visitors, if they say no, then the show's off."

"Fair enough."

Kagami and Miyuki said their goodbyes and hung up.

"Now what were we talking about again?" asked Kagami.

"Could we pick up the discussion later?" said Tsukasa, "right now, all I want to do is recharge."

_Same here._ "I'll be seeing you in the morning."

As Kagami connected herself to the charger, she couldn't help wondering what awaited her in the future.


	21. Book 1, Chapter 21

**4-18-2285**

The wedding was wonderful; Ayano had longed dreamed of marrying the man she loved and settling down with him. Sure, she'd be leaving her job, but she was the one who wanted to look after her and her husband's household. Also, his position paid well enough that they really didn't need another income.

Besides, it wasn't like she'd never see her former co-workers again.

The ceremony concluded with Minoru pulling Ayano's veil back and kissing her. The guests applauded as the couple made their way up the aisle. She'd chosen the biggest, poofiest white dress she could find. Sure, it got in the way a little, but it made her feel like a princess, and anything it would get in the way of, she wouldn't be doing herself anyway. That, and she would only be wearing it for one day.

Her mind was brought back to the present with the arrival of the company-rented limo. It took some effort to get her into and out of the vehicle, but they arrived at the reception site. They all made their way to their assigned seats.

Ayano looked on as Misao gave the first speech. "I promised this speech wouldn't be bitter," she said, "but if any negativity creeps it, feel free to dismantle me on the spot."

Misao laughed at her own joke, but quickly stopped, apparently realizing that no one was joining in. "Well, anyway, as I was saying…"

Ayano quietly listened to as Misao's speech. To summarize, Misao had long wished to start a relationship with Ayano, but just couldn't bring herself to admit her feelings. By the time she did, Ayano and Minoru were already going out. Besides, Ayano just didn't feel that way about other gynoids. She hated to hurt her friend's feelings, but she figured it would be best to just be upfront about it rather than lead her on.

"In conclusion," Misao said, "congrats to Minoru on his victory! There is no doubt in my mind that Ayano made the right choice."

There was a round of applause, not only for Misao's remarks, but also that she seemed to mean every word of it.

Next up was Ayano's now-former manager, Kagami. "I'm sad to see a worker go, but I'm happy to see her so happy."

This time the speech was about what a hard worker Ayano was, and how Kagami watched her grow, both as a miner and as a person.

_People sure like to talk about themselves,_ Ayano noted, more with curiosity than anything else.

"But enough of me already," Kagami finished. "I think it's time we hear a little something from the happy couple!"

More applause followed as Ayano and Minoru got up to speak. They didn't have anything prepared, so she wasn't sure how this would go.

Minoru ended up doing all the speaking; Ayano just wasn't comfortable with making public speeches. It was just as well, since he ended up saying everything she would've said, and much better, at that.

It soon became apparent that they were all sick of hearing speeches, so they cleared the floor so the newlyweds could have their first dance. Ayano and Minoru wouldn't win any dancing contests, but they didn't embarrass themselves either.

Once they were done, the floor was open to the other couples, as well as the single guests who'd brought dates.

Eventually, the festivities wound down, and it was time for the newlyweds to make their exit.

"Lucky you," Misao said, "having the week off while the rest of us work!"

"It looks like you found something to be jealous about after all," Minoru remarked. "Besides, I have vacation time build up, and this is as good a reason to use it as any."

"I agree," said Kagami. "Go enjoy yourselves."

As Ayano got into the limo, she took one last look at Kagami, who was reminding the crew that they'd be back at work the next day.

The limo soon launched, taking the couple beyond Tealsphere's orbit to Ayano's residence, where they'd be living together from this day forward. She valued her privacy such that she lived in a small space station floating somewhere out of the way.

The limo pulled into the parking area just long enough to let the passengers out before departing.

Ayano rushed into the living room. "Excuse me a moment."

"Where are you headed?" Minoru asked.

"This is your home now, so I'm adding your profile to the main power system's computer."

"Aren't you at least going to change first?"

"It'll just be a second." Ayano opened the chamber and, with slight difficulty, squeezed her dress through the opening. She would definitely not be wearing it again. Still, she had no regrets. She heard the familiar sound the the door closing behind her.

She had just gotten done entering the new data and was about to leave, when she heard an ominous buzz, followed by the sound of something blowing out. Before she could realize what was happening, a bright teal light momentarily took over her field of vision. Her eyes soon adjusted, though, allowing her to find her way out. When she tried to open the door, it refused to budge, no matter how hard she pushed.

As she'd feared, she was trapped inside.


	22. Book 1, Chapter 22

**4-21-2285**

Three days had gone by, with neither Ayano nor Minoru having any luck getting her out of there, or shutting off the power flow.

At this point, Minoru had resorted to brute force to get the door open, or even break it. However he tried, he simply could not get the chamber to let his bride out.

"Minoru, it's okay if you want to stop for now," Ayano said. "You'll just end up hurting yourself at this rate, and it's not like I'm in any immediate danger."

Indeed, with the chamber's power output level, and the way androids were built, she could easily hold out for months before the overload killed her.

Nonetheless, it took like Minoru was about to protest before stopping himself. "You win," he said instead. "I'll call Misao for help."

"Good," Ayano said. "She certainly knows how to fix these things."

Ayano only heard Minoru's side of the brief conversation, but it seemed he got Misao to come here without too many questions.

Misao walked into the living room. "Okay, so what was so important that you called me away from - what the hell just happened?!"

Minoru explained the situation to Misao.

"Is he for real?" Misao asked.

"I only wish he were joking," Ayano said. Then again, she would be furious with him for playing this kind of joke on anyone.

"We all know how this usually goes, but I'll do what I can."

Misao spent two and a half hours attempting to free Ayano from her future resting place.

"That's it," she finally said. "There's nothing I can do."

Ayano wasn't naive enough to truly expect any other answer. Their energy chambers were so well designed to keep intruders out, that in circumstances like these they ended up keeping unfortunate occupants in. "Thank you anyway," she said.

"I'll leave you two alone; I should be heading back to work anyway. Do you want me to say anything about this?" Misao asked.

"I'd rather you didn't," Minoru said. "I'd like the be the one to break the news, if and when Ayano and I feel like letting them know."

"Understood. See you at the mine." Misao left the room.

As soon as she was gone, Minoru turned his attention to Ayano. "So…" he said, "yeah."

Ayano understood his sentiment. "Well, we did say 'till death did us part, didn't we?"

"Some way to spend our honeymoon," Minoru said sadly. Then he thought of something. "You think Misao's really going to keep this to herself?"

"I've known her for a while," she said. "Once she's made a promise, she does all she can to keep it."

"Good, 'cause to be honest, the last thing I feel like getting is a bunch of well-meaning pity."

Ayano got as close to the opening as she could. "Personally, I'd just as soon not burden others with knowing this was happening. But if you need someone to cheer you up, you know where to find me."

Minoru let out a brief laugh, and Ayano was relieved that her husband's spirits hadn't been totally crushed.

"But yeah," she added, "this has been a lousy honeymoon." The sadness that had been lurking under the surface began to emerge.

"Should I really be leaving you alone like this?" he said. "I'll call Kagami and asked for additional time off -"

"No," she interrupted. "They all count on you too much. Besides, we both know you'd eventually run out of excuses not to go to work."

Minoru stood there silently.

"Besides, I'll be just fine," she continued. "Well, relatively speaking. I'm used to being alone for hours, and sometimes days, as a time, and this shouldn't be too different."

"Are your sure?"

"Yes. Go out and live your life. What time you spend at home will be more than enough for me."

A long moment passed between the two.

Minoru look as his wedding ring. "'Til death do us part."

"Let's just try to make the most of it," Ayano said.

She could no longer hide how upset she was, from herself or from Minoru. Still, she vowed to take her own advice and not let a single one of her remaining days go to waste.


	23. Book 1, Chapter 23

**6-1-2285**

Ayano had taken the news better than she ever imagined she would. This would help take Minoru's mind off things for a while; truth be told, that week had been the least fun she could remember having, and she figured he could use the distraction.

That, and she used the opportunity to get her own thoughts in order. Despite everything, she did not for one moment regret marrying Minoru. Still, she couldn't help wondering how this was affecting him. At times, she found herself thinking the chamber was deliberately taking its time killing her just to torment them both.

_Don't be ridiculous,_ she chastised herself. Besides, no matter the circumstances, he'd made it clear he wanted her in his life for as long as he could have her.

She turned and looked out toward the rest of her house. It was then that she noticed the faint reflection of her on the transparent wall. The energy flooding the chamber made it hard for her to see it, but it was there.

She was still wearing her wedding dress, veil and all; this was because she hadn't thought to bring a change of clothes in here. She'd thought about removing her veil and restyling her hair just to have something to do, but again, she didn't have anything with her to help with that.

She eventually settled on pretending to be a kidnapped princess, waiting for a handsome prince to come and rescue her. She never asked herself why her supposed kidnappers were never around. Then again, the old stories she used to read didn't address that either.

She then looked up and saw her face in the reflection; until then, she hadn't realized how depressed and miserable she looked, and she worried that Minoru noticed it too.

_Well, for course I'm depressed and miserable._ After all, not only was she going to die here, but she was doing to spend her entire marriage waiting for it. The worst part was, she and her husband would never have their wedding night, or even hold each other before the end.

She finally looked past the reflection toward her living room. She saw that Minoru hadn't done a thing with it since their wedding day. She could understand why; he probably wasn't going to want to live here once she'd passed on.

She then felt some fabric slipping out of her fingers; she just then realized she'd been unconsciously playing with her skirt. Contrary to what her friends seemed to think she was capable of getting bored, and there wasn't a whole lot to do in here.

She thought about what she was going to say to her husband when he finally got home from the asteroid. Was she going to make a frank confession about her feelings these last few months? Would she ask him how his last two months had gone?

Then again, she could simply welcome him home, like she usually did. He already had much on his plate; it might not be fair to burden him further.

Finally, there was always the option of not saying anything at all. As time went by, eventually she might not have a choice, as her vocal unit could be so damaged by the constant power surge that she would be unable to speak.

This brought up another aspect of her situation; it was unlikely that her bodily systems would give out all at once. She found herself wondering what body part would become unusable first. An arm? A leg? Or maybe one of her eyes and ears? The worst part of it all was that she'd remain conscious, and fully aware, all throughout this.

That led her to contemplate yet another topic: her mortality. No one really knew what happened to souls of the dead, or if such a thing even existed. She liked to think that death would be a release from this prison, and that she would be able to watch from beyond as Minoru finally got on with his life.

While Ayano had never feared death in and of itself, she didn't want to go without having first lived a full life. Being cut down at such a relatively early age, and her last year being almost totally wasted, was something she preferred not to think about.

_There I go, playing with my dress again._ She laid her hands doing in front in her skirt to put a stop to that. When the end came, she wanted to at least face it like a lady.

Finally, it hit her; there were no doubt other gynoids out there - and androids, too - suffering the exact same fate. Perhaps their respective spouses, Minoru included, were meeting in a secret support group.

Another possibility came to her for when he got home: she could formally release him from his vow of marital fidelity, or even give him permission to find himself someone else. With luck, by the time she passed on, he could be ready and willing to remarry right away.

She shook her head, banished such fanciful thoughts. Of course he wouldn't have relations with others, no matter what she said. Nor would his conscience allow him to start dating again while she was still alive.

She looked at her reflection once more, and only then did she notice it was tinted by the teal energy that surrounded her.

_I'm lonely. I just wish he'd come home already._ She knew she was being selfish, but she wasn't sure she'd be able to take another month alone with her fears.

Even if she had access to the TV controls, television had never really appealed to her, so that wouldn't serve as much of an escape.

She went over a one of the in-room panels and used it to browse the internet for a while. Normally she view the net in her mind, but this power surge was disrupting her wi-fi connection.

It was also beginning to cause her a small amount of pain. She could just turn off her pain receptors, but she was using whether they were working or not as a gauge of how close she was to total systems failure.

In the end, Ayano was torn between wanting to hang on as long as she could, and wanting to die quickly and get it over with. Only time would tell which would happen.

She once more caught her hands playing around with her skirt, and this time she didn't care.


	24. Book 1, Chapter 24

**1-1-2286**

"So I've been in here ever since," Ayano said, concluding her story.

"I had no way of knowing," Konata said.

"Is something bothering you?"

"No, it's just that… okay, this is probably the last thing you need to hear right now, but before I left the facility, I stumbled across a room filled with the remains of those who'd had accidents just like yours."

Ayano shook her head. "No, that's fine. I've had more than enough time to come to terms with all this. So, you were really worried about me?"

"Well, yeah. On my way here, I thought something like this might be happening. This is one time that I really hate being right. Actually, I also came here to ask about the asteroid."

"Oh, yeah, about that," Ayao said, "Minoru told me that the company had it blown up when there was no other way to extract what remained of its ore supply."

"So where is everyone now?" Konata asked.

"They all have new jobs. Minoru went with Kagami and Tsukasa, and I'm not really sure where everyone else went."

"I guess I'll just have to ask when I find them."

"Please do." _I miss them all, and I don't think I can stand to keep this from them much longer._ "Is something that matter?"

"No, nothing," Konata said. "I was just looking and you, and if I may say, you look even more beautiful than you did at your wedding."

Ayano was genuinely surprised to hear that from Konata. Maybe it was because she'd gotten used to her wedding dress, from having worn it so long. Maybe it was because so much time had passed since Konata last saw her.

Then again, it may be that she wasn't nervous about her future like she had been that day. She knew what lay ahead, and was fully prepared for it.

Whatever prompted Konata's comment, the only reply that Ayano could think of was "Thank you."

"Happy New Year!" Misao said, as she came into the room. "Sorry I'm late, but - what in the world!?"

"What are you talking abou… oh," said Minoru, as he followed her inside.

Ayano told them how Konata had found her way into the house last night, and the two of them had spent all this time talking about various things.

"At this rate," said Minoru, "we may as well just tell everyone."

Ayano thought about it; actually, she'd been thinking about it for some time. "We should," she said, "but not until you're comfortable with it."

"I'll leave you alone now," Konata said. "Thanks for your time."

"Wait. I'd like you to stay just a while longer. If that okay, Minoru."

"I don't mind," Minoru said.

Misao took Konata aside for a few minutes to explain all that had happened with the company and why. Meanwhile, Ayano was left alone with Minoru.

"Imagine that," Ayano said. "It's New Year's Day." She hadn't dared to imagine living to see this day, let alone getting to spend it with another of her old coworkers.

"That sort of brings me to why I was out all night," Minoru said. "I was at the Hiiragi shrine, on the off chance that a prayer to the gods could do us a solid. I guess we'll know their answer soon enough."

Ayano knew him well enough to realize when he was joking. Of course the gods weren't going to save her. He was, like her, just doing his best not to let this weigh his heart down with sorrow. At least that was how she chose to see it.

"We're back!" said Misao, putting an end to the couple's private moment.

"It's all quite a bit to take in, isn't it?" Minoru said.

"I just wished I heard a bit sooner about the demolition and the layoffs," Konata said.

"I don't know how the company could've failed to inform you."

"Maybe the research staff wanted to avoid upsetting me. In any case, I'm going to need a new job if I'm going to feed my anime habit. Hey, maybe I'll see if I can work at the same company as Miyuki."

"Just keep in mind," Misao said, "that if you are hired there, she'll be your senior."

"I can live with that," Konata replied. "So, where are you working?"

"I took a job making package deliveries. I tried getting a job working under Kagami, but she said I wasn't qualified. Oh well, them's the breaks."

"On second thought, I should try getting that job instead." Konata turned to Ayano. "I should be going now. Mind if I drop by again?"

"Not at all," said Ayano. "Just, please, try to keep this to yourself for now."

"No problem. No one will know I was here. Later." With that Konata was out the door and on her way to Tealsphere.

"I should be going too," said Misao, "I promised my boss I'd be making a delivery today."

Minoru went to see her off, leaving Ayano alone for the moment. Whatever else was happening, she couldn't deny that this was the best day she'd had in a long while.


	25. Book 1, Chapter 25

**4-18-2286**

Ayano noticed that the pain she'd been feeling for months now had gone away. This could mean only one thing.

"I'm not sure what we'll be doing for our anniversary," said Minoru, "but we can discuss is after I get back from work."

"Please don't go," Ayano said.

"I didn't catch that."

"If it's at all possible, could you not go to work today?"

"Are you sure?"

_Come on, Ayano, don't be selfish._

"I've never been more sure about anything." She decided that this, of all days, was her time to go ahead and be selfish.

"I'll see what I can do." Minoru spent a few minutes on the phone. "Good news; Kagami's agreed to give me the day off."

"Thanks. I… well, I just don't want to be left alone today."

Minoru smiled sadly at her, as if he somehow realized what she'd already sensed.

"It's been a long year, hasn't it, Minoru?"

"I'll say," he replied. "It's amazing how much has changed since then. I still sometimes think back to when we all worked on that asteroid."

"I just can't believe we still haven't worked up the nerve to be open with all of them about what's been happening."

"I was thinking I could tell them all tomorrow."

Ayano noticed that he'd said "I" rather than "we".

_Yeah, he's definitely figured out what's happening._

Ayano felt her legs beginning to buckle, so she quickly sat down on the floor. The skirt of her wedding dress spread out, bunching up against the wall. She was still able to see over it, once she'd pushed some of it downward.

"Are you okay, Ayano?" Minoru asked.

Ayano couldn't bring herself to answer, and instead decided to change the topic.

"I've heard stories online that they're about to mount another intersphere expedition."

"Yeah," said Minoru, who'd apparently taken the hint, "that's what I've heard too. There's even been talk of possible diplomatic relations with other worlds."

"That sound like a noble goal."

Several minutes passed by in silence before Ayano spoke again.

"I think it's time we both admit the truth," she said.

"I know," Minoru said.

That truth being that today would be Ayano's last day alive. She could feel her systems starting to give out, and he somehow picked up on that.

"I thought I'd be ready for this."

"I don't think anyone is ever really ready for this."

Minoru didn't have a response to this.

As the hours wore on, they gradually confronted all the emotions they'd held back during this last year. All the while, Ayano could feel herself getting weaker, with her sight having failed in her right eye, and her left eye starting to lose color vision.

_Who am I kidding? I'm not looking forward to this, anymore than he is._

"Ayano," Minoru said, "if there's anything else you want to say, now's the time."

"I love you more than I can possibly express in words, and I wouldn't trade in day of this last year if it mean not being with you. I'd take even one day with you than a thousand years alone."

_May as well let it all out._

"My only regret now is that we insisted on hiding what was going on from our friends. Whenever Misao or Konata would come over, that was the highlight of my day. It would've been easier on them if they didn't have to lie about where they were going."

Ayano was finished, and not just because her vocal system had failed.

Minoru looked like he was trying to say something to her, but at this point she could no longer hear anything.

_Well, it looks like that's it._

She could no longer sit up, and she fell backward onto the floor. As she looked up and the ceiling, the last of her eyesight faded away.

_Most of all, I owe an apology to you, Minoru, for all the heartache you no doubt had to endure the whole time we were married. At least now you can get on with your life._

Just then, she felt her soul losing its connection to her body.

_Finally, I'm free..._


End file.
